Here are three tips executives can use to do their jobs better and be more effective leaders:

• Don’t rely on transparency so much. Back-room, private discussions can actually elicit more honest feedback, according to researchers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. This link will lead you to more of their insights.

• Just listen. Sit down with key players at your organization and give them time to talk about what is working and what isn’t. The executive who listens this way can develop greater insight and better problem solving, said Margot Murphy Moore, an executive with Standard Homeopathic Company and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. Click here for more of her perspective on the topic.

• Give employee surveys a try. After all these years, an employee survey still helps determine employee engagement. It can also help build morale, shape behavior and teach the executive who relies on the survey about employee priorities, executives from Facebook and others noted in a recent Harvard Business Review blog posting. This link gives you more of their perspective on the issue.